What’s next for local fashion?
How does the New Zealand fashion industry hope to secure a successful, sustainable future? Leaders across the $7.8 billion dollar industry hope to find out at the Threads of Tomorrow Summit in Auckland on 16 June.
This industry contributes billions to New Zealand’s economy and employs tens of thousands of people, yet it has often operated in parts rather than as a connected system,” says Jacinta FitzGerald, chief executive of Fashion & Textiles New Zealand (FTNZ).
“Threads of Tomorrow Summit is about bringing those parts together, to build a shared understanding of where value is created, where the opportunities lie, and how we move forward with greater alignment and ambition.”
The one-day summit, backed by principal sponsor ASB, will convene over 200 decision-makers – of the industry’s 76,000 employees – from across Aotearoa’s fibre, textile, manufacturing, design and retail ecosystems. They’ll explore how New Zealand can strengthen its global competitiveness, build higher-value industries, and accelerate innovation across the sector.
Headline speakers include Minister of Finance Nicola Willis, Victoria Mulligan, co-founder and director of Design Futures Aotearoa, and Emma Wallace, managing director of Kowtow. Mark Little and Sarah Hayes of global outdoor brand Patagonia, will deliver a keynote on ‘The End of Business as Usual – What the Next Decade Demands’ presented by Zentera, the company behind ZQ and ZQ+, the world’s leading marks for high-quality wool.
Three core themes – place, possibility, and momentum – reflect New Zealand’s unique strengths, emerging opportunities, and the shifts shaping the decade ahead. In conjunction with the Summit, FTNZ will launch a Future of Manufacturing Strategy, developed with EY to strengthen Aotearoa’s fashion and textiles manufacturing ecosystem. “New Zealand has all the ingredients – world-class natural fibres, strong design capability, and a reputation for integrity and innovation,” Jacinta says.
Tickets are available at: events.humanitix.com/threads-of-tomorrow-summit.
